Promising Nationwide Tour talent has eye on PGA TOUR

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Feb. 4, 2009
By Jeff Adams, Nationwide Tour staff

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The roster of fully-exempt and conditionally-exempt players on the Nationwide Tour contains more than 200 names, all with the same goal of playing their way onto the PGA TOUR in 2010.

With the 2009 season set to begin Thursday at the Panama Digicel Championship in Panama City, Panama, there are several talented young players whose resumes portend good things ahead and perhaps the realization of their PGA TOUR dream later this year.

With each passing year, the Nationwide Tour creates an even bigger footprint on the PGA TOUR. As the Tour begins its 20th season, it's an appropriate time to take a look at which players might emerge in the footsteps of 2008 Player of the Year Brendon de Jonge, leading money winner Matt Bettencourt and the rest of "THE 25" who have set out in search of success and titles on the PGA TOUR this year.

We'll know for certain come October, but here are a few young guns age 25 and under whose talent and reputation suggest we should keep an eye on them in '09:

Name	Age	Birthplace	Residence	About
Sang-Moon Bae	22	Dae Gu, South Korea	Dae Gu, South Korea	He was a two-time winner on the Asian Tour in 2008. ... He held off Ian Poulter and Anthony Kim to capture the second title -- Kolon-Hana Bank Open. ... He represented South Korea in November's OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup in China. ... He's a rookie on the Nationwide Tour after earning Nationwide Tour status via q-school.
Jonas Blixt	24	Sweden	Tallahassee, Fla.	He was a 2008 first-team All-American and graduate of Florida State with a business degree. ... He was the highest-ranked, foreign-born collegiate player of '08. ... He's a rookie on the Nationwide Tour and earned Nationwide Tour status via q-school.
Matt Every	25	Daytona Beach, Fla.	Jacksonville Beach, Fla.	He was a three-time, first-team All-American at the University of Florida. ... He was the 2006 Ben Hogan Award winner as the nation's top collegiate golfer. ... He played in the 2005 Walker Cup. ... He was the low amateur (T28) in 2005 U.S. Open. ... He finished 34th on Nationwide Tour money list in 2008 after his first full year on Tour and earned Nationwide Tour statusfor 2009 via a top-60 finish on the money list.
Won Joon Lee	23	South Korea	Australia	His nickname is "Boom Boom" for his prodigious length, but he demonstrates plenty of talent to go with it. ... He was a was medalist in the 2006 Western Amateur. ... He finished 2008 with 315.7 yards in driving distance average to lead both the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR players. ... He played 27 Nationwide Tour events in 2008 -- his first year -- earning five top 10s. ... He had a solid second half of the year, jumping up to 50th on the final money list. ... He earned Nationwide Tour status via a top-60 finish on the money list.
Garrett Osborn	24	Birmingham, Ala.	Birmingham, Ala.	He's a 2007 graduate of University of Alabama-Birmingham. ... As a rookie on the Nationwide Tour in 2008, he made the cut in 14 of 26 starts, earning 10 top-25 finishes. ... His sixth-place finish in the Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch moved him to 38th on the final money list. ... He was first team all-state in both baseball (catcher) and football (quarterback) at UAB. ... He earned Nationwide Tour status via a top-60 finish.
Kyle Reifers	25	Columbus, Ohio	Charlotte, N.C.	He was a two-time All-American and 2006 graduate of Wake Forest. ... He was a member of the winning 2005 Walker Cup team. ... He won the 2006 Chattanooga Classic. ... He returned to the Nationwide Tour from PGA TOUR in 2008 to post three top 10s and finish 47th on the money list. ... He earned '09 Nationwide Tour status via a top-60 finish on the money list.
Michael Sim	24	Scotland	Australia	He was the world's No. 1 ranked amateur in 2005. ... He qualified for the PGA TOUR via the Nationwide Tour money list in 2006, winning one event. ... His career development was slowed by a stress fracture in his spine that was diagnosed in late '06. ... He was co-leader of the Australian Masters with Robert Allenby after three rounds in December before slipping to 77 and a tie for 11th finish. ... He earned Nationwide Tour status via the PGA TOUR Extended Money List.
Joseph Sykora	24	Daphne, Ala.	Daphne, Ala.	He won two college events while attending the University of Alabama, where he was a three-time SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. ... He was also named the school's top scholar-athlete in 2008, finishing with bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting. ... He's a rookie on the Nationwide Tour after earning status via q-school.

Note: All of the above except Sang-Moon Bae are entered in the Panama Digicel Championship.

The youngest member of the Nationwide Tour in 2009 is Richard T. Lee. Canadian born and now residing in Chandler, Ariz., Lee is 18 years old. His father, Jeff, was K.J. Choi's roommate on the Korean Tour.

Right behind Lee are three 22-year-olds, Patton Kizzire, Sang-Moon Bae and Seung-Su Hon.

Among the Nationwide Tour class of 2008 graduates now on the PGA TOUR who were under the age of 25 at this time last year are Colt Knost (now 23), Spencer Levin (24), Casey Wittenberg (24) and Brendon Todd (25). For more on Todd, check out his rookie profile.